Benghazi Citizens March on Militia Headquarters; John Terry Quits England National Team

Aired September 24, 2012 - 16:00 ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

BECKY ANDERSON, HOST: Tonight on Connect the World: enough is enough.

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HILLARY CLINTON, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: ...stand together to resist these forces and to support democratic transition.

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ANDERSON: Hillary Clinton's call to action after Libyans take to the streets to demand an end to armed militia.

ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN London, this is Connect the World with Becky Anderson.

ANDERSON: Libya's government has given armed groups until tomorrow to disband. Tonight, on this show, we're going to look at whether these militia are likely to cede to those demands.

Also this hour.

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MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD, PRESIDENT OF AFGHANISTAN (through translator): Of course, the Zionists are very much - very adventuresome.

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ANDERSON: Hear what Iran's president has to say when CNN asked him whether a war with Israel was imminent.

And why more and more Hollywood stars are swapping the silver screen for the small screen.

Very good evening from London. I'm Becky Anderson for you.

After a weekend of demonstrations in Libya, the pressure against our militia there is building as the country attempts to crack down on lawlessness, the U.S. secretary of state has urged not just Libya, but the world to unite against extremism.

Well, Hillary Clinton also praised the Libyan people for standing up against armed militia. The government has given the groups until Tuesday to disband. As Arwa Damon reports, the death of the popular U.S. ambassador during an attack in Benghazi a week or so ago drove many to take a stand.

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ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Tragically, the violent assault on the U.S. consulate on Benghazi may have been the sort of catalyst needed to galvanize change. Blamed loosely on Islamist extremists, in a country awash with weapons and no real rule of law.

(CHANTING)

DAMON: For the majority of residents in this city, the birthplace of the Libyan revolution, it was the final straw. Thousands took to the streets on Friday demanding an end to armed militias. This is not the new Libya they sacrificed for.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My boys two killing.

DAMON: No.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One in Benghazi, one in Sept (ph).

DAMON: During the revolution two of your sons were killed.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Two, yes.

DAMON: So you're out here demonstrating because you want the situation in Libya to change?

DAMON: That same night, hundreds marched on the headquarters of the Islamist militia group Unsara Sharia (ph) forcing the militia that so many here loathed and feared to retreat into the shadows.

It was an atmosphere of jubilation and euphoria, but what happened next would underscore just one of Libya's many complexities.

The crowd targeted a second location. It would turn out to be the Raforma Hati Battalion (ph) headquarters, a militia backed by the government, part of the February 17 brigade, one of the most powerful revolutionary units.

At the brigade headquarters, the spokesman blamed saboteurs and Gaddafi loyalists for manipulating the crowd against them.

"They deceived the youth, they use them as a shield for those who want to ruin the revolution," Brigade spokesman Mohammed Bugrain (ph) tells us.

These here are some of the individuals who have been attained in association with the attack on Ben Rafola's Hati Battalion (ph). We are being told that they are going to be transferred to another location.

We've also managed to obtain a list of names of all those who were brought in. The vast majority of them are very young, born in the late 80s and 90s.

Frustrated Bugrain (ph) echoes the demands of so many. "The government is hibernating," he says. "The government needs to focus on building a real country, a country that has a proper army.

Left exposed after the battalion withdrew to prevent more bloodshed, the weapons it was tasked with protecting.

This is what was so critical to keep off of the streets of Benghazi, this is the weapons storage facility. And there's just about everything. Here we have anti-aircraft, machine gun rounds, there's all sorts of rockets, artillery, this is 133 millimeter rocket round. The army commander here is telling us that when he and his men arrived on site looters were already going through this facility. They made off with more of the light weapons, things like rocket propelled grenades, but this is what the army has been sent to secure.

The events of the last few days go to the very core of the government's fundamental inability to adequately integrate the revolutionary unit. On the streets of Benghazi, people welcome the announcement of the formation of a joint security operations room, incorporating what it calls the legitimate revolutionary brigades and security forces in Benghazi. But many still viewed it as a band-aid solution.

OTHMAN HOWAIW, BENGHAZI RESIDENT: They tried to do this before and it didn't succeed. The only way to solve this problems is to dissolve all the militia.

DAMON: A demand by the people that the government can no longer afford to ignore.

Arwa Damon, CNN, Benghazi, Libya.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Putting the genie back in the bottle, that's how our next guest describes the Libyan governments challenge in trying to impose order on the country's post revolutionary militia.

Frederic Wehrey is a senior policy analyst for the Carnegie endowment for international peace and is just back from a trip to Libya.

Public anger, Fred, with these groups spilling onto the streets of Benghazi at the weekend. The people have spoken. The response from the government at least is clear: 24 hours to disarm. These are what we might consider official militia the people in the government are talking about here. How realistic is that demand at this point?

FREDERIC WEHREY, CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT FOR INTERANTIONAL PEACE: It's a positive signal, but this is going to be a very, very long process. I mean, you have to remember for over a year the government has really been relying upon these militias to keep order in the country. It's been paying them off. It's sort of a devil's bargain. The government was so weak. It didn't have an army. It didn't have a police. So it subsidized these militias. And many of them have become a law unto themselves. And it's not going to be an overnight process to ask them to disarm and demobilize.

ANDERSON: Is it feasible to incorporate them into the country's official security apparatus going forward or not?

WEHREY: Not really. You want to really you know reduce their sense of cohesion and their identity, because if you simply incorporate them into the army as militias you're preserving the militia structure. And this is what it's done in the past. You really need to provide incentives for these young men who fought during the war to completely abandon these militias, either go to school, join the army as individuals not as groups, or get vocational training. And that process has not really taken off yet.

ANDERSON: Then there of course is the issue of al Qaeda in the country. This is what the chair of the U.S. intelligence committee said about the killing last week of the U.S. Ambassador Stevens, which of course ignited public anger. Have a listen to this. I want your response.

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REP. MIKE ROGERS, (R) MICHIGAN: We don't know for sure or for certain yet. We have at least - I look at the information, have a high degree of probability that it is an al Qaeda or al Qaeda affiliated group that had a very specific target in mind and that was to attack the consulate and cause as much harm, chaos and death as possible.

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ANDERSON: And Fred, Mike Rogers there. And then a call to action today from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Have a listen to this.

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HILLARY CLINTON, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: Extremists around the world are working hard to drive us apart. All of us need to stand together, to resist these forces and to support democratic transitions underway in North Africa and the Middle East.

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ANDERSON: Her words of course following these weekend protests in the country. Frederic, how big a threat is al Qaeda in the struggle for security, particularly in eastern Libya?

WEHREY: The actual linkages between al Qaeda proper, al Qaeda central command and these Salafi jihadist militias is unclear. I mean, I think - honestly I think most of these militias are homegrown. They may have some linkages. But this is really a Libyan problem that needs to be addressed through political reform, through building an army. We have seen signs that al Qaeda and the Islamic Magreb down in the south is very interested in exploiting the chaos in Libya. But again there, the solution is better governance.

ANDERSON: Is it clear who was behind the attack that killed the U.S. ambassador as of yet?

WEHREY: Not really. We don't know. There's a myriad of these militias that are suspect. They all have hardline Islamist orientations. But again the jury is still out about which one of them conducted this attack.

ANDERSON: Frederic Wehrey for you this evening. Sir, we thank you for joining us. You're an expert on the subject.

The Iranian president's reaction to the U.S. embassy attack in Libya is coming up this hour. Speaking ahead of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sat down with CNN's Piers Morgan on that and a number of other issues. What he had to say in around 15 minutes time right here on Connect the World.

Also this hour, 15 years in prison for the latest person to be tried in China's biggest political scandal in recent memory. That's coming up.

Plus, forget the silver screen, we're going to show you why the small screen is in the ascendency. I'm Becky Anderson, 12 minutes past 9:00 in London. You're watching Connect the World. Stay with us.

Now in the past hour or so we've heard news that five major terrorism suspects could soon be on their way from the United Kingdom back to the United States after the European Court of Human Rights threw out appeals against extradition. One of the suspects is the hate preacher Abu Hamza who has been fighting a long legal battle.

With more on that, let's bring in Atika Shubert out of Euro in London - Atika.

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right, Becky. I mean, basically what it means is that there are legal options have completely run out. They've been fighting this legal battle for years now claiming that an extended prison sentence in one of America's supermax prisons would constitute a violation of European human rights, particularly if they were put in solitary confinement. But the European Cout of Human Rights rejected that in April. They've now exhausted all their appeals. And it means they will be extradited.

The British home office has welcomed this decision, says they will be extradited as quickly as possible which we understand could mean basically a matter of weeks they'll be put on a plane.

ANDERSON: Yeah, stay with CNN for more on that. Atika, thank you. A look at some of the other stories that are connecting our world tonight. And the UN Syria envoy has addressed the United Nations Security Council on a day when regime war planes have been bombarding Syria's second city. Opposition forces report at least 67 people across the country in the heavy shelling of rebel held areas in Aleppo.

Lakhdar Brahimi told the UN that the situation in the country is getting worse, but that he is still optimistic.

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LAKHDAR BRAHIMI, UN SPECIAL ENVOY TO SYRIA: The situation is indeed extremely difficult. It, that - you know, there is a stalemate. There is no prospect for today or tomorrow to move forward. But I also told the council that paradoxically, now that I have found out a little bit more about what is happening in the country and the region, I think that we will find an opening in the not too distant future.

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Lakhdar Brahimi speaking there.

Well, a former Chinese police chief who attempted to defect has been failed for 15 years. Wang Lijun was found guilty of, quote, bending the law for selfish ends, defection, abuse of power, and bribe taking. Wang sought refuge to the U.S. consulate in February and that brought to light the link between the murder of a British businessman Neil Haywood and the wife of powerful politicians Bo Xilai. Well, last month, Bo's wife Gu Kailai was given a suspended death sentence for her role in the killing.

Tech supplier Foxconn has suspended operations at one of its Chinese plants after largescale riots broke out there on Sunday. In what was started as a, quote, personal dispute between several employees. So the incident escalated into a brawl involving around 2,000 factory workers. Thousands of police were brought in to control the crowd, at least 40 people have been hospitalized. The factory will reopen, we are told, on Tuesday.

Well, the mission is over for now: the heatbreaking words of the rescue chief after efforts to find three missing climbers in Nepal were suspended. Rescuers believe the trio died in Sunday's avalanche on the Manaslu Mountain, which has already killed eight others.

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SUMNIMA UDAS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Both of the helicopter companies that have been conducting these search and rescue missions for the past two days. And they were telling us that they had not been instructed to go back and find these three missing mountaineers, but that the reality is they don't expect to find any more survivors at this point.

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ANDERSON: I'm leaving the court with my head held high, that declaration from the former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert. Jerusalem court today fined him about $19,000 and gave him a one year suspended jail sentence. That was also cleared to run for political office again. Now back in July, he was found guilty of breach of trust and acquitted of two corruption charges.

Well, a lucky escape for a big rig driver in Brazil. This video shows a semi truck hanging off the side of a bridge after an accident caused it to spin out and break through the guardrail. The driver wasn't hurt, but left dangerously hanging above the water for almost half an hour while rescuers worked to pull him out.

There's your headlines, more at the bottom of the hour. We're going to take a very short break at this point. When we come back, though, John Terry calls it quits as a member of England's national football team, but that's just one development in what could be a big week for him. More on that after this.

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ANDERSON: Right. You're watching Connect the World live from London. I'm Becky Anderson. This is the part of the show where we do some sport for you. And we knew this would be an important week for the English footballer John Terry, but his decision on Sunday, and it was a surprise for many people in England, that he was going to quit playing for his country, has only added to what was - as I say already going to be a big week. The intrigue, Don Riddell with more from CNN Center.

Just explain what's going on here, Don.

DON RIDDELL, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Right. Well, John Terry is one of England's most valuable players despite the fact that he was twice the captain and stripped of the captaincy for various reasons. He remains a very, very important player for the side. He's won 78 caps. He was one of their most influential players at the European Championships recently. But he has quit. He says his position with the England team is no longer tenable because the football association, which of course overseas the England team is pursuing him regarding the alleged racial abuse that he dished out to QPR's Anton Ferdinand in the Premier League last season.

Now Becky, you know that John Terry was on trial in a criminal court over this. You can see him there leaving that court after he was found not guilty earlier this year. But the FA have decided to pursue him. And that case began today in a secret location. We assume that to be somewhere in London, but we don't know for sure. We will know the outcome of that case in a couple of days time.

But John Terry clearly feeling that he can no longer continue representing the England team. And whatever you think about John Terry he will be missed in the England setup because he is such a committed player.

ANDERSON: Were you surprised to find out that he was quitting ahead of this week? What do you think it tells us about this - about this case that the FA has brought - they're calling it an independent inquiry, but effectively the football association of course behind it?

RIDDELL: Yeah, I mean, he suspect it's because he thinks that he's probably not going to win this case and then the FA are going to have to make a decision anyway. So perhaps he's taken that responsibility out of their hands. And in a way, he now has nothing to lose - well, I mean, his reputation will obviously be tarnished if he's found guilty, but he can't be stripped of the England role, because that's already gone.

I mean, you know, when the - he - he didn't necessarily win the criminal case, but he didn't lose in the criminal case earlier this year. But it's going to be much harder for him to come out of this hearing this week in a positive light, because it's all to do with the balance of probability. The bar is set a lot lower at these hearings. So on the balance of probability did he or did he not racially abuse Anton Ferdinand? Well, it may be harder for him to escape that one.

ANDERSON: 31 years old, his England career is over. He's brought a halt to that to a certain extent. I support he sees himself as a victim here, others will say that's absolutely not the case. He played brilliantly for England, I've got to say, in the Euro 2012. So we're all going to miss him to a certain extent. But anyway, let's move on.

Let's stick to football though. On the pitch, Real Madrid, in action a day late. What happened?

RIDDELL: Yeah, this is a weird one. They were supposed to be playing Rayo Vallecano in Spain's La Liga yesterday, but the game was abandoned, or it never was able to take place, because of what's being described as alleged lightning sabotage. They couldn't get the lights working in this match, so they had to postpone proceedings and come back 24 hours later. The suggestion is that someone tampered with the lights and they couldn't play the game. So we'll find out what actually happened there, Becky, in the fullness of time.

But Real did eventually play the game. They got it finished a short time ago. They won by 2-0. Karim Benzema and Christiano Ronaldo on target. And that is a very important win for Real, because they've had an awful start to the season, but they have now finally won what is only their second game in five. They're eight points behind Barcelona.

ANDERSON: Right, because the lights have gone out on their season almost before it started. The light's back on.

Don, always a pleasure to have you. Thanks very much indeed. And Don back in about an hour from now with World Sport of course. We hear from the European Ryder Cup captain ahead of this weekend's event.

Still to come on this show tonight, Iran's president is going to take to the stage this week at the UN General Assembly in New York. CNN got a preview of what Mahmoud Ahmadinejad might say when he sat down with my colleague Piers Morgan.

Plus, Hollywood's love affair with television, why the small screen is now big news.

And we learn about the world's greatest buildings from some of the world's greatest architects. This is CNN. Stay with us.

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ANDERSON: Wherever you are watching in the world, it's very warm welcome to Connect the World on CNN. I'm Becky Anderson. These are the latest world news headlines.

Britain is welcoming a ruling allowing it to send radical Muslim cleric Abu Hamza to the United States to face 11 terrorism-related charges. Now that the European Court of Human Rights rejected his final appeal against extradition. Hamza serving a seven-year term in Britain for inciting hatred.

The UN envoy to Syria told the Security Council that the situation in the country is worsening. Lakhdar Brahimi says the regime showed no signs of reform, but he also said that he did hope to find an opening in the not- too-distant future.

A former Chinese police chief who attempted to defect has been jailed for 15 years. Wang Lijun was found guilty of charges including abuse of power and bribe-taking. Wang's attempted defection to the US in February led to revelations that brought down a prominent Communist Party official.

And world leaders arriving at the UN for the General Assembly, the annual meeting. One of the most highly-anticipated speeches comes Wednesday when Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad takes to the stage. Among other things, he's expected to discuss Iran's nuclear program and Israel's threat of a military strike.

Well, Iran has blocked YouTube and its owner, Google, over an anti- Islam film that inflamed the Muslim world. Iranians have taken to the streets to protest the amateur film. Iran says it's now blocking YouTube and Google because of public demand. It says those sites refuse to take the film down, and it, quote, "insulted our people's sacred beliefs."

CNN's Piers Morgan just interviewed Iran's president. He asked Mahmoud Ahmadinejad whether violent protests targeting US embassies in some countries should stop. This is what happened in that exchange.

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MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD, PRESIDENT OF IRAN (through translator): You see, I cannot determine what people -- or nations should do. But I do think that extremism gives birth to following and subsequent extremism.

Perhaps if the politicians take a better position in the West vis-a- vis offensive words or thoughts or pictures towards what we hold holy, I think conditions will improve.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: President Ahmadinejad had a lot to say about other subjects, as well, including Israeli threats of military action against Iran's nuclear facilities. Let's bring in Azadeh Moaveni into our discussion. She's a journalist and an author of "Lipstick Jihad" and "Honeymoon in Tehran: Two Years of Love and Danger in Iran."

Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary-General of the UN, warning the president of Iran this weekend of the dangers of incendiary rhetoric ahead of this week's meeting. It was, as far as I can tell, an altogether less belligerent Ahmadinejad in his conversation with Piers Morgan -- we're going to hear more of that as we move on -- albeit flogging the same -- the same issues.

Let's start, though, with his words on attacks on US embassies. Were you surprised by anything he said?

AZADEH MOAVENI, JOURNALIST: I was struck by what a generic tone that he took, Becky. This is the President Ahmadinejad who over a year ago was trying to take credit for the Arab Spring, who was trying to center Iran in a position of leadership and really try and become popular on the Arab street and play to the Muslim world in that way.

So, for him, these kinds of almost generic, banal language, like a divorce court judge. He understands every side, extremism is a terrible thing, I thought was a really softened tone.

And it really underscored for me how vulnerable he and the Iranian government must feel at this moment to pass up an opportunity like this to take Iran forward and the sort of rock star of the Arab street as he has in the past.

ANDERSON: All right. Azadeh, let's then have a listen to what he said when he was asked whether he thought there would be a conflict between Israel and Iran anytime soon. I think specifically Piers asked him whether he saw anything imminent before Christmas. This is that part of the exchange.

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PIERS MORGAN, HOST, CNN'S "PIERS MORGAN TONIGHT": Do you fear that war is imminent? Do you fear that there will be military conflict, perhaps even before the end of this year, between your country and Israel?

AHMADINEJAD (through translator): Of course, the Zionists are very much -- very adventuresome, very much seeking to fabricate things, and I think they see themselves at the end of the line. And I do firmly believe that they seek to create new opportunities for themselves and their adventurous behaviors.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: His -- his words are similar, but not so similar as to be recognizable about the issue of Israel. Again, a less belligerent Iranian president.

MOAVENI: Yes, it's certainly softer, the rhetoric. I think that we don't see him referring to Israel as a cancerous tumor, we don't see him asking or saying that Israel should be wiped off the map, so it's definitely a softened tone. And I think this reflects Iran's very delicate position in the region right now

Iran is increasingly isolated. Canada broke off diplomatic ties just a couple of weeks ago with Iran. The Iranian currency has tanked, the economy is in worse shape than it has been in decades. And there's a presidential election coming up next summer. President Ahmadinejad is going to be thinking about how to keep his political block in power.

So he's, I think, quite aware that Iranians right now are seeing rising prices at food stores, they're seeing their salaries dwindling. And this is not the time for them -- this I is not the time they want to see their president sort of taking a belligerent tone with the world.

I think he's been very careful and playing very much now to Iranian domestic sentiment, which is -- not really tolerant of that kind of hostility towards the world right now.

ANDERSON: Words for a domestic audience, then, perhaps as opposed to world leaders, who he will address on Wednesday. Just have a listen to one last part of the interview that Piers conducted with the president. I want your response to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MORGAN: How would you feel if one of your children dated a Jew?

AHMADINEJAD (through translator): I would have to see who that Jewish man or woman would be. I see love amongst people as completely -- acceptable. There are many Jews living in Iran with whom we are very close. There are -- some Muslims that marry into Jewish families or marry Christians. I -- we have no such problems.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Are you surprised by his response to that question?

MOAVENI: I think it was very strategic. I think he took the opportunity to try and remind the world that Iran has a sizable Jewish population, at least in the -- at least perhaps 10,000 to 20,000 who co- exist with relative sort of harmony with other Iranians around them.

Certainly faces hostility from the state, but that's certainly not true of any other Arab country in the Middle East. So, I think that he was trying to take a very strategic position there, trying to not wear the garb of the Holocaust denier, to again sort of soften Iran's tone and bring Iran perhaps a bit out of the isolation that his comments -- the kind of comments we might have expected from him a year or two ago have pushed Iran into.

ANDERSON: The thoughts of Azadeh Moaveni tonight here on CONNECT THE WORLD. We thank you for that. And you can see Piers's full interview with the Iranian president on "Piers Morgan Tonight," Tuesday, 11:00 in London, midnight in Berlin and here on CNN.

And one more programming note: all this week, we'll be keeping our eye on the UN General Assembly, bringing you the big speeches. A few highlights: US president Barack Obama is one of the first speakers. He takes to the stage tomorrow morning.

Later that day, it's Afghan president Hamid Karzai's turn. He didn't get to make his speech last year because of violence back home.

And Wednesday, as we said, the Iranian president will address the Assembly. The following day, Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas, will speak. He's expected to push for an upgraded status that would allow Palestinians more privileges at the United Nations.

And soon after that, stand by for the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who takes to the podium. No doubt his main focus will be Iran's nuclear program. A fascinating week coming up.

Well, frocks and shocks. Coming up on this show tonight, why Hollywood's Emmy Awards were no tea party for the night's many British nominees. That after this.

WYNTER: And for many, the reality that they won the biggest award in television.

KIEFER SUTHERLAND, AWARD PRESENTER: Julianne Moore.

(CROWD CHEERS)

WYNTER: Four-time Oscar nominee and six-time Golden Globe nominee Julianne Moore is now a Primetime Emmy winner. The actress took home one of "Game Change's" four statues handed out Sunday night.

JULIANNE MOORE, WINNER, OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE: I feel so validated, because Sarah Palin gave me a big thumbs down.

MICHAEL J. FOX, AWARD PRESENTER: "Modern Family."

(CROWD CHEERS)

WYNTER: For a third straight year, reigning king of comedy "Modern Family" did it again, winning a total of four Emmys, including Best Comedy Series, Supporting Actress for Julie Bowen, and Supporting Actor for Eric Stonestreet.

ERIC STONESTREET, WINNER, OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY: I never knew I'd be on TV as a gay man, but I love the pictures of harry chests you guys are sending me.

WYNTER: After four consecutive wins, "Mad Men" was dethroned by Showtime's freshman powerhouse, "Homeland," for the top drama prize. Its stars, Damian Lewis and a pregnant Claire Danes, both won for Lead Acting honors.

WYNTER (on camera): While his late night show "Jimmy Kimmel Live" didn't end up winning the prize for outstanding variety series, the comedian did deliver on his promise to host the Emmys with a twist.

KIMMEL: I would like the people who are at home watching the Emmys right now to help me pull a big prank on the people who are not watching.

WYNTER (voice-over): The late night funny man asked the audience and viewers at home to post tweets and Facebook messages indicating that "30 Rock" star Tracy Morgan had passed out on stage.

KIMMEL: Just like there for about, I don't know, ten minutes or so.

TRACY MORGAN, ACTOR: OK.

WYNTER: But instead of Kimmel, it was once again "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" that won its tenth variety series Emmy in a row.

JON STEWART, HOST, "THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART": Years from now, when the Earth is just a burning husk and aliens visit, they will find a box of these and they will know just how predictable these (expletive deleted).

(LAUGHTER)

WYNTER: Laughter, tears, talent, and cheers. TV's golden night once again reminded millions of what host Jimmy Kimmel has known all along.

KIMMEL: I've got to get out less.

WYNTER: Kareen Wynter, CNN, Hollywood.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well, it was also a golden night for cable TV networks. "Homeland" goes out on Showtime. Viewers pay a bit more for the premium channel, much as they do to watch HBO, but the old guard, the main US broadcast networks, didn't feature heavily last night.

Now, "Homeland's" Damian Lewis was himself a big winner. The native Londoner and veteran of the Royal Shakespeare Company took lead actor honors for playing a US Marine, and his fellow British star, Dame Maggie Smith, won for her role in "Downtown Abbey."

But that was it for "Downtown," despite its many nominations. And there was also disappointment for "Sherlock," a UK sensation.

Well, Damian Lewis uttered one of the phrases that resonated through the night when he called this a "golden age for TV." For more on the rise of the small screen, we're joined now from Los Angeles by Ben Lyons, correspondent for "Extra" TV.

Film's crass, populist little brother, that being TV, seems certainly to be having, or certainly in the ascendancy it's had, its had its day in days of yore. Why is it that we are seeing so many storytellers and Hollywood stars moving back into TV?

BEN LYONS, CORRESPONDENT, "EXTRA": Well, as any actor will tell you, they go where the good characters are, and the good characters right now are on television. That's where the best writing is.

And now, with cable channels here in the United States investing more in dramatic series and even comedy series or straight-to-television movies, that's where the good characters are, and that's where you can really show off your acting chops and sink your teeth into a character.

So, you see people like Claire Danes, who started off in television back in the day on "My So-Called Life," went off to have a great career in film, and now she's returning to television because she can play a character like she does on Homeland.

And you see it with Julianne Moore and Woody Harrelson for "Game Change," and you see it with Idris Elba, somebody else who started off on television, went and did movies, like "Thor" and "Takers" and now is nominated for an Emmy for his work on "Luther," a very -- a terrific miniseries --

ANDERSON: Sure.

LYONS: -- from the BBC. So, that's where the good characters are. Kevin Costner, for "Hatfields and McCoys" --

ANDERSON: All right.

LYONS: -- who won last night. That's where the great writing is --

(CROSSTALK)

ANDERSON: Ben, is it also --

LYONS: -- so that's where the actors go.

ANDERSON: -- where the great money is these days?

LYONS: Absolutely, yes. Wouldn't be Hollywood if we weren't talking about the business. And television is a lucrative business. With a movie, you never know what kind of money you're going to get. With a television deal, it's very lucrative money.

You see someone like Zooey Deschanel, who went off and did movies for a long time, now she's back on "The New Girl," big show here in the States on Fox, and she's doing very well as an executive producer and star. So, yes, the actors go where the great writing and the great characters are, but they also go where they can get -- they also go where the money is.

ANDERSON: Ben, how big an impact does TV everywhere been in the rise, once again, of television, the idea being that you don't have to watch a scheduled event, but you can watch at your own appointment, on demand, as it were?

LYONS: Well, that's the thing with television. While people might not be tuning in at the same time, they're sharing it with their friends like they never have before. Everybody has an iPhone, now, that they can watch their favorite shows on. Everybody can Tivo it or record it On Demand, as they say here in the States, and watch it later. It's a lot easier than having to set the VHS tape.

Now, you can watch TV on your iPad and on your -- on the go, if you're traveling. For business travelers, now, they can catch up on the plane. So, definitely being able to take your favorite shows with you on the road and watch them consecutively.

Like, I know when "Luther" comes out, I'm watching four episodes in a row, and you can do that now, you don't have to wait week in and week out like you used to.

ANDERSON: Ben, what's the great unanswered question? What happens next in "Homeland?"

(LAUGHTER)

LYONS: What happens next in "Homeland?" Well, they're going to have to change the production, because of their lead, Claire Danes, and what's going on in her real life. So, I think we might see something come into play with her pregnancy, possibly, on the show. Maybe her character gets knocked up, shall we say? We'll see.

ANDERSON: Ooh. Good stuff. All right. Well, it wouldn't be good stuff for her, but I was just saying "good stuff" as a sort of general -- general sort of wrap to this conversation. Ben, thank you very much, indeed, for joining us.

As you can imagine, a lot of celebs turning to Twitter to tweet both the good, the bad, and the ugly of the Emmys. Rob Lowe made a mention of cable TV's dominance with this tweet: "Network drama can no longer win the Emmy, cannot compete with cable storytelling possibilities."

Comedian Jimmy Kimmel wrote, "The Emmys would go a lot faster if no one was allowed to make a speech." We know that.

Well, television producer Jerry Bruckheimer wrote that he was, and I quote, "Very happy with tonight's outcome. Congrats to all the other Emmy winners."

And finally, Jackie Collins tweeting this random thought on last night's Emmy, "Was it sponsored by Perma Tan? Because half the people on stage looked orange."

You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. When we come back, what makes a building truly iconic? We're going to speak to architect Daniel Libeskind about his favorite works of modern design. That's after this.

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ANDERSON: All this week, we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the launch of the UENSCO World Heritage Program. We've been speaking to some of the world's greatest architects about their favorite iconic buildings. Today, Maggie Lake talks to Daniel Libeskind, the designer behind the Military Museum in Dresden about his favorite structure, that being the Eiffel Tower.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANIEL LIBESKIND, ARCHITECT: It's risky. Has a spirit to it. Kind of a spirit of the unknown. It's daring, because it doesn't mimic anything. It's original. It had never been done before.

I wish I had designed the Eiffel Tower.

MAGGIE LAKE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Why do you think the Eiffel Tower is so iconic? What does it mean to Paris? Why did that building work there and for so long?

LIBESKIND: Because it's a building with no function. It's a building that has no program. It's a building that's completely uncharacteristic of the complex in which it's standing, Paris. And yet, it's such a fantastic building.

It's technology and architecture used to create the most incredibly radical image.

And of course, we all know, all the great artists, composers, musicians, politicians, hated that building. They wanted to tear it down. It was built for a World's Fair.

And in the long run, it became the most beloved and most symbolic, I think, building of France, of Paris, of Europe.

So, that's such an iconic, amazing, amazing building to me.

LAKE: You've said that each building should have a story to tell. What do you mean by that? Why is that important?

LIBESKIND: Because I think buildings are like books. Or like movies. I always thought that architecture really is a storytelling profession. Look at the Parthenon. When you look at the Parthenon, you look at a pad and it tells you the story of war. It tells you why the Greeks built this building and what it stands for.

So, I think every building that I love is a story, and I never liked glass boxes and nice facades and beautiful, sleek things that are just self-referential.

LAKE: If you have to think back on our designs, which one is your favorite?

LIBESKIND: One of my favorite projects is the Military History Museum in Dresden in Germany. And I created this kind of -- a really penetration through the opacity of the armory that juts out.

I didn't want to make it an intellectual story, I wanted to -- people to feel that sense of displacement that space -- of kind of catastrophe. And I gave them, so to speak, in this building, a view, both of the rebuilt city, but also of the directions from which the city was devastated.

So, I kind of restored it back to its kind of glory and juxtaposed the new and the old in a way which is both disruptive of the old, but also gives you a sense of how we have changed our thinking with this vector that is very, very violent, in away.

And at the same time, gives you a picture and an access to a totally different space, because the space of the armory is all columns and rigid, and this space is not for weapons. It's really to ask those questions and to navigate between the horizontal world of chronology of history and the vertical world of human restoration and understanding.

LAKE: Did you doubt yourself when you were doing the museum in Dresden and think, ooh, this might be too -- people might not get it?

LIBESKIND: Others doubted it, but I never doubted it. The big idea has to be so strong that it can go through fire and still emerge exactly as you wanted it to be. There's so many opinions, and in a democracy, I value that. But at the end, it's not just an opinion. The building has to sort of hold its own. And if it's good, it will.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Our series on the Great Buildings continues all this week, and you can see much more online at cnn.com/specials/greatbuildings.

And some seasonal flavor in tonight's Parting Shots. Saturday marked the start of autumn for those of us in the northern hemisphere. Spring, of course, for those in the southern. And to mark the change, CNN asked viewers to submit a photo of their surroundings to iReport. So, we start things off in Barb's garden in Rome as she welcomes the start of fall.

And here's what one lucky viewer saw during her lunch hour walk in Pennsylvania.

Also in the States, Terry celebrates his soccer team's 3-1 win on a breezy day in Missouri.

Carol's husband welcomes autumn in some typical Californian style.

And some cheer for Rummel, his Sunday -- sunny Saturday in the Philippines.

But it's not getting colder for all of us. Esteban's holiday snap from Iguana Island reminds us that if you are lucky to be living south of the equator, spring has just begun. Check out these photos and more at cnn.com/ourmobilesociety.

That's CONNECT THE WORLD, I'm Becky Anderson, thank you for watching. The world news headlines up after this.